


A Buddy For Christmas

by EllieBear



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Domestic Fluff, Merry Christmas!, Veronica Mars Gift Exchange 2019, doggy adoption, everyone is happy and bright, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21850288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieBear/pseuds/EllieBear
Summary: Logan and Veronica decide it's time to add another fur-baby to the family for Christmas.  A little holiday AU LoVe story.
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 42
Kudos: 88





	A Buddy For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TroubleScout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TroubleScout/gifts).



Veronica’s eyes fluttered open, the coloured lights of the Christmas tree dispersing little twinkling lines through her eyelashes. Yawning, she stretched under the quilt Logan threw over her last night when she was too tired to move, and mentally cursed Wallace once again. He could have warned them that the twins were just getting over the flu when she and Logan agreed to babysit, but he and Jackie seemed just a little too eager to get to Jackie’s office Christmas party and neglected to share that fact, just grateful for the free babysitting once again. And here she was, paying for her good deed with aches, pain, and vomit.

“Feeling up to breakfast this morning?” Logan called from the other side of the couch, and she grudgingly pulled herself up past the red cushions to see him standing in the kitchen a few feet away. “I can make you a few pancakes if you want. Nothing too heavy.”

Running her tongue over her teeth, she wrinkled her nose at the taste of her dry mouth. A new wave of nausea rolled over her but thankfully, it subsided quickly. 

It was their first Christmas in their new bungalow and being laid-up with the flu, watching Logan set up all the Christmas décor while she lay on the couch, was not part of her idyllic image of what was supposed to happen this week. Six months ago, she’d finally agreed that the condo they’d owned since after college was getting too small for them, her collection of books, Logan’s ever-growing assortment of surfboards, and their massive mutt, Pony. This was definitely not part of her plans when she imagined a holly-jolly Christmas this year.

Frustrated with her incapacitated state, she drew a deep breath through her nose, letting the gentle woodsy scent of the fir tree soothe her senses, like the peppermint tea Logan had been making her all week.

“Please. And thank you.” Sitting up, she leaned against the arm of the couch, bending back just enough so she could see him across their open-concept space. “I miss not being in bed with you.”

“I’ve missed you too. It’s been a while since we’ve slept apart.” Logan shared a soft smile with her before turning to gather the ingredients for pancakes, padding around their large kitchen in his ratty UCLA t-shirt and grey sweats.

Veronica thought back to the last time they were apart, five years ago, when Logan did his final internship as part of his journalism degree, all the way in New York City. It was six months of phone calls and skype and sexting while she finished her criminology degree at UCLA, holding things together in their tiny apartment, all the while missing him terribly. A shiver ran through her, and she grinned, thinking back to their reunion after being apart for so long.

“Good thing we don’t have neighbours banging on our walls anymore, telling us to keep it down.”

“Nope. When you get back into our bed, we can have as much loud sex as we want.” Waggling his eyebrows at her, he put the eggs on the counter and scratched at his unshaven cheek. “When you’re feeling better, of course.”

Closing her eyes, Veronica did a mental scan of her body. Her headache had finally gone, and she seemed to be craving food again. There was that subtle body ache that had been lingering, but some Advil and a hot shower may cure her lingering icky feeling.

“I think I’m out of the woods. Let's try and salvage what’s left of this Christmas season together before we go to Dad and Alicia’s house tonight for Christmas Eve. Mercifully, Amazon and AMEX took care of most of the presents and wrapping for us this year, but I wouldn’t mind getting out of the house for a while. Maybe we can hit some funky shops near the boardwalk and pick up a little something for Lilly before she arrives for New Year's?" 

Pony trotted over to her and Veronica lowered her hand beside the couch, allowing the dog to lick her fingers. She hadn’t left Veronica’s side during her illness and howled at the door when Logan drove her to the doctor’s office a few days ago. It was a show of affection that Veronica saw as both heartwarming and a little off-putting. She reached out and scratched the black fur between Pony’s floppy ears as she kept a keen watch on her owner with those big brown eyes.

“Well, if you’re up for it, there was something _else_ I was hoping we could do today—” Logan paused in his preparation, wiping his hands on his t-shirt before coming over to stand on the other side of the couch. “Something we talked about when we first moved into the house.”

Staring up at him, she frowned. “You want to replace the back deck?”

“No.” He chuckled, bending down to place a small kiss on her forehead. “I think we should go and look for a sibling for Pony.”

At the sound of her name, Pony gave a small woof, wagging her tail, and Veronica stretched her hand across her back, stroking her short, shiny coat.

“A sibling, huh? What if she wants to be an only child like me?”

“You said yourself, she’s been so happy to have you around every day and we did talk about how it would be nice for her to have some company when we’re both gone at work—I mean besides when Dick stops by to take her to the beach to be his doggy-wing-man.”

“I thought Dick _was_ her sibling?” Veronica smirked.

“All I’m saying is that the Neptune Rescue Society is having an adoption event for Christmas today and should we want to stop by, maybe we could give a dog in need a home _and_ find a playmate for Pony.” Sweeping his fingers across Veronica’s cheek, he tucked a section of greasy blond hair behind her ear and wrinkled his nose. “After a shower, of course.”

As she bit her lip, Veronica glanced between Pony and Logan. On the one hand, they had plenty of room for an entire pack of dogs in their new home, both inside and out. On the other hand, Veronica wondered if getting another dog was taking on too much. They both had their busy careers as well as healthy social lives with their friends and extended family. And ever since they turned thirty, there had been the on-again-off-again discussion of whether they would further grow their family with a tiny human or two. While she had warmed to the idea of a baby, the real fear that more than one baby would come out of her at a time—as it did with Jackie—kept her Pill prescription filled. But then, looking into Pony’s big brown eyes set her heart aflutter, and she remembered how happy they both were in those few months when she was a gangly puppy. Back then, Pony would trip over her own big feet, her small body disproportionate to her giant head and floppy ears. Veronica’s phone was filled with pictures of Pony back then—chasing seagulls on the beach, sleeping with her stuffy hedgehog at the foot of their bed, wrestling with Logan in the backyard. Had it been three years since they got her? Somewhere in that time, her fur-baby had become a full-grown fur-child.

“Fine,” she sighed, fighting back the flood of emotion at the ongoing thoughts of baby Pony. “I’ll shower while you make breakfast. If we want the pick of the litter, so to speak, we should get there early.”

Flinging back the cover, Veronica stood, rocking for a minute as she got her legs. Logan was immediately around the couch, steadying her with his arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Pony jumped and barked at her feet, and she closed her eyes, leaning against Logan’s body for support.

“Need a hand? I can help you in the bathtub if you want.”

Gathering herself, she righted her shoulders, and he released her, kissing the back of her head as she pulled away, shooing him with her hand. “I’m fine. But maybe you should add some bacon to breakfast. I think I need some protein after all that barfing.”

“As you wish,” he said with a chuckle as she shuffled away from him towards the bathroom, Pony close at her heels.

=======================================

Sure enough, there was a long line of people by the time Veronica and Logan showed up at the community centre, and Veronica cursed herself for taking a second helping of bacon. After not eating well for the past week, the feel of solid food in her stomach was positively orgasmic. She felt a little queasy from overeating as they drove, but Logan had packed her a water bottle, and she managed to take small sips to keep away any real sickness. She just hoped she didn’t catch anything again from the multitude of runny-nosed children that were in line with them that day.

As they finally made their way into the hall, many of the metal kennels around the room looked empty, and Veronica frowned, thinking of the beautiful Great Dane she saw leaving the event with a happy family.

“Maybe an older dog,” Logan stated, taking her hand as they began to circle the large room. “I think a newborn puppy would cause Pony a lot of stress.”

The high yipping of the puppies combined with the squealing of the kids and Veronica cringed as she moved past a large gated area filled with both. “Agreed. I mean, it was fun with Pony, but she was still older than six-weeks. Maybe a year?”

“And maybe already trained, if we’re lucky?” Logan added. 

“So, an older dog then.” Veronica stopped by a line of large crates, stooping to peer in through the bars.

At the sight of her, several dogs pressed forward to the doors, ears perking up and tails wagging. Her stomach flipped as she locked eyes with the black pit-bull with a white diamond on its forehead, and thoughts of Backup danced through her head.

“This guy looks happy,” Logan said as he crouched near her, pointing towards the dog. 

“He’s a very happy dog.” Glancing up, Veronica smiled at the sepia-skinned woman standing near them, clutching a clipboard. The woman flipped a paper on her pad and cleared her throat. “That is Mr. Snuggles. He was relinquished to the rescue society by a family a few weeks ago. Father is in the Armed Forces and was given a lengthy assignment overseas. The family thought the flight and transition would be too hard on him, so they gave him up. He’s a pure-bred pit-bull—has his papers and everything. The family was heartbroken.”

“Mr. Snuggles?” Veronica snorted. “What kind of name is that for a pit-bull?”

“The kind of name a dog gets when there are three children in the house.” The woman laughed, flipping her pages back down. “He’s an older dog—just over three years old—and is fantastic with children, so if you have a family that is not with you right now…”

“No. No kids, yet.” Logan exchanged glances with Veronica, and she looked away. “But another dog at home —Pony—who is definitely not a pure-breed.”

“Oh, well, then…he may be a good dog for your home too. Mr. Snuggles was given up for adoption with one other dog, a sibling that was adopted within a few days of arriving at our shelter, so he’s used to having another dog around him.”

“He…he was separated from his brother or sister?” Veronica’s lip involuntarily quivered, and she bit down hard, trying to hide the sudden burst of emotion.

Mr. Snuggles stuck his nose through the bars, sniffing towards Veronica as he let out a soft woof of approval. Tears pricked her eyes, and she bowed her head closer, hiding her face from Logan behind her hair.

“Can he come out of the crate so we can see him?” Logan suggested, his hand resting on Veronica’s knee.

“Of course. You can let him out slowly and see how he reacts to you both if you’d like.”

As Logan reached for the latch, Mr. Snuggles stood, wagging his stumpy tail and watching as the crate opened slowly. Veronica leaned back on her heels and placed her hands patiently on her thighs, letting the dog make the first move. He pushed through the opening and immediately started sniffing Logan, starting with his jacket and working his way across Logan’s chest to his face. Logan stayed kneeling, letting the dog get a good sniff before Mr. Snuggles moved on towards Veronica. 

“Hey, Mr. Snuggles,” she said, and the dog licked the back of her hand, starting the same procedure of sniffing her, beginning at her knees and working his way up to her chin. 

As the dog sniffed her face, he gave her nose a quick lick, and Veronica laughed, stifling the urge to grab him and hug the stuffing out of him. Mr. Snuggles continued his inspection of her before ending with his nose in her lap, and she shifted, gently moving his head away from her, and he hopped back happily, woofing as he bounced back towards Logan. Now he was comfortable enough that when Logan moved, the dog didn’t flinch as Logan reached out and stroked its sleek fur. Veronica scooted closer to scratch Mr. Snuggles’ head, and the dog sat, letting out a sigh of contentment at the love lavished upon him.

“He’s so well behaved,” Veronica noted, grinning at Logan.

“Maybe he’ll be a good influence on Pony,” Logan chuckled.

Veronica scratched under Mr. Snuggles' chin, and his eyes rolled back, a visible smile spread on his doggy face. He was a solid dog from head to toe, and his glossy black coat caught the fluorescent lights, giving him an almost blue tinge.

“You’re such a good boy, Mr. Snuggles. Such a good boy….”

“He did go for training, and he’s been neutered so you won’t have to worry about that. The family didn’t adopt him to breed—just to be a good companion to their children. He just hasn’t been adopted because so many people still have misconceptions about pit-bulls.”

“I used to have a pit-bull when I was younger; his name was Backup, and he was easily the most loveable dog in the world.”

“Oh well, then you know what loyal and affectionate dogs they can be.”

“I don’t think there would be a problem integrating him into the household with Pony.” Logan shrugged. “Then maybe, eventually, if we have kids…”

“Yeah, maybe…” Veronica muttered under her breath, frowning at the dog.

The chaos of the hall continued around them as Veronica sat transfixed by the dog’s deep black eyes, trying to picture him in their space. Mr. Snuggles on the couch with her and Logan and Pony watching movies. Mr. Snuggles on the beach, running through the surf. Mr. Snuggles begging for food from Keith during Sunday evening dinners.

“We need to change his name.”

“Agreed.” Logan nodded. “Maybe something Christmassy? Jack…as in Jack Frost? Or maybe Rudolph? Blitzen? Donner?”

“Oh my God,” Veronica rolled her eyes as she stood, patting her hip, and Mr. Snuggles broke away from Logan, coming to sit at her heel. “I promise you, Mr. Snuggles, I will not let your new daddy rename you something ridiculous.”

The woman laughed, flipping more pages on her clipboard. “I’ll start filling out the paperwork.”

==========================================

“…I really think you need to give the name Comet a chance,” Logan stated as he opened the door, letting Veronica and Mr. Snuggles walk past him inside.

Pony was standing a few feet away, wagging her tail happily at their return, but she suddenly stopped at the sight of the new dog, her eyes narrowing as she stuck out her neck to sniff the air in front of her. Mr. Snuggles stopped as well, taking in Pony’s scent.

“Moment of truth,” Veronica sighed as she bent down to unclasp the leash from Mr. Snuggles' new black-leather collar. 

The two dogs immediately began circling each other, sniffing first the air, then each other’s butts, and Logan laughed beside her.

“I don’t know why you find that funny.” Rolling her eyes, Veronica crossed her arms as she continued to monitor the scene.

Logan wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head. “I just always think that’s what I should have done to you when I first met you.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped. “Will you ever _not_ be a horny college boy?”

“Nope.”

Pony let out a sharp happy bark, and Mr. Snuggles playfully jumped around her, barking and wagging his tail. Pony did the same, and the two dogs proceeded to leap and frolic around the open space between the living room and kitchen, their nails clicking on the tile as they circled and swirled. 

Veronica’s phone rang in her purse, and she quickly dug it out, frowning at the number on the screen. Connecting the call, she walked a few feet away, turning from the doggy chaos.

“Hello?”

_“Ms. Mars? This is Jessica from Dr. Jackson’s office. She wanted me to call you before we closed the office for Christmas so we could give you your test results and schedule a follow-up appointment for next week when we reopen.”_

“Results? Does that mean my iron was low as she suspected? Do I need to go on any medication?”

_“No, Ms. Mars, your iron levels are fine. But congratulations—your pregnancy test came back positive.”_

“What’s that now?”

She could feel all the blood drain from her face, and she placed her hand against the wall to steady herself as spots appeared in front of her eyes. This couldn’t be right. She had been on the Pill since she was 17 years old. She was careful and took it every day. Even when she was on antibiotics a while ago for an ear infection—they used condoms. At least, they did a few times…there was the shower…and then the bathroom of the airplane coming back from Seattle…but that was two times in more than a decade of…

_“You’re pregnant, Ms. Mars. That’s why you’ve been sick.”_

The eerie calm of shock replaced the light-headedness, and Veronica righted herself, nodding at the phone. “Okay. Thank you.”

_“Merry Christmas, Ms. Mars, to you and your husband.”_

“Uh, huh.” Disconnecting the call, Veronica stared for a second at the screen as it lit up one last time before going to black. She could see her confused expression reflected, and she frowned.

“Veronica?” 

Logan’s hand gently squeezed her shoulder, and she spun around to face him, feeling a twisted, giddy grin spread across her face. Holding the phone up to his face, she laughed as she pointed to the blank screen.

“Doctor’s office. Not flu. Pregnant,” was all she could manage before another nervous laugh rose from her, and she covered her mouth.

“Pregnant?”

“Pregnant.”

"But we weren't _trying_."

"I know."

"But you're on the Pill."

"I _know._ "

"But we talked about it and we were going to wait but this isn't waiting this is _now._ "

"I know!"

Logan staggered back slightly, grasping the wall as she just did, and she continued to laugh in shock.

“We got two siblings for Pony today,” Veronica stated, causing more nervous laughter. “A fur baby and a real one.”

“A real baby,” Logan muttered, running his fingers through his hair. “A real baby.”

Logan’s features morphed from shock to delight as a broad grin pulled across his lips, tears cresting on his lashes and Veronica finally stopped laughing, giving in to the happiness of the moment.

“We’re going to have a baby.”

“Yeah. I know.”

He spread his arms and Veronica stepped in, closing her eyes as he enveloped her, pressing her to his chest. Her hands slipped between them to grasp his shirt, and she blinked back happy tears. After all the debate, now that it had happened, she realized that the warm feeling that spread through her was complete and utter joy at the fact that they were going to have a baby.

“Are…are you okay with this Veronica?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Merry Christmas, Logan.”

His laugh shook her body, and he kissed the top of her head, resting his cheek on her crown. “Merry Christmas, Veronica.”

Pony and Mr. Snuggles began jumping around the two, high barks of happiness echoing through the house. Veronica turned her head to look down at the dogs and shook her head.

“We can’t even name a dog! How will we ever name a kid?”

“Buddy,” Logan stated. “As in Buddy the Elf. That’s my final suggestion, or he stays Mr. Snuggles forever.”

“Buddy,” Veronica repeated. “Buddy. I like that. Pony and Buddy.”

Buddy let out a yip and a bark as if realizing they were discussing his new name and jumped back, crouching low to the ground. Pony barked with joy and jumped after him, and the two dogs tore off through the house, nearly knocking over the Christmas tree at the edge of the living room before disappearing down the long hallway towards the bedrooms, leaving the glass balls jingling against each other as the tree swayed.

Sighing, Veronica hugged Logan, laying her head against his chest and feeling his strong heartbeat in her ear, steady and soothing. A new house, two dogs, and a baby on the way. This was most definitely a Christmas they would never forget.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185100680@N02/49255522296/in/dateposted-public/)

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas TroubleScout!! Hope this fic checks all the good boxes off on your Santa list.
> 
> Many thanks to JMazzy for creating the beautiful Christmas card art for this fic. You're the best.
> 
> And big thanks to my Beta, Irma66 for her help cleaning up my work.


End file.
